The Danger of Transactional Faith: A Critique of Prosperity Theology

• Church Vision and Equipping [00:47:07 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines the church's mission as equipping believers for daily freedom, citing youth retreats and prayer as methods of this equipping.
• Sermon on the Mount Context [00:49:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor analyzes Matthew 5:1, arguing that Jesus was intentionally teaching his disciples (rabbinic style) rather than just addressing a general crowd.
• Youth Ministry Impact [00:47:12 ▶️ 📄]
  > References a recent youth conference in Atlanta where students experienced vulnerability and repositioned their hearts, serving as a model for the congregation.
• The Sermon on the Mount and Discipleship [00:49:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that Jesus was intentionally teaching his disciples as a Rabbi, filtering all teachings through the command to love God and others.
• Retaliation and the Law [00:51:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > Analysis of Matthew 5:38-42, contrasting the 'eye for an eye' law (originally for justice/protection) with Jesus' command to not resist evil.
• Guilt vs. Shame [00:52:47 ▶️ 📄]
  > Defining guilt as 'wrongness of action' and shame as 'wrongness of being,' and how shame causes believers to feel unsettled and retaliate.
• Shmika (Rabbinic Authority) [00:54:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > Explaining the phrase 'You have heard... but I say' as a claim of higher authority to correct misinterpretations of the Torah and reveal God's heart.
• Cultural Context of the Right Cheek [00:59:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using a live demonstration to explain that a slap on the right cheek in that culture was a back-handed strike used by higher-status individuals to belittle and shame lower-status individuals.
• The Cultural Significance of the Right Hand and Cheek [01:00:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains that the right hand was used for interaction, making a backhand slap on the right cheek a specific act of belittling and asserting superiority, which Jesus addresses by turning the other cheek to assert equality.
• Identity and Dignity in Christ [01:02:37 ▶️ 📄]
  > The core argument that believers should not retaliate when shamed because their identity is settled in God, not in the opinions of others, mirroring Jesus' confidence before the high priest.
• The Law of the Tunic and Cloak [01:04:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > An analysis of Jewish law regarding taking a tunic in a lawsuit, where the cloak had to be returned at night; Jesus uses this to teach giving even more (the cloak) to show that one's dignity is not dependent on material possessions.
• Jesus' Nakedness on the Cross [01:07:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > An illustration of Jesus having his garments divided and cast lots, leaving Him naked, to demonstrate that He allowed Himself to be undignified so that believers could retain their dignity.
• Angaria and the Roman Mile [01:10:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > An explanation of the Roman law allowing soldiers to force Jews to carry loads for one mile, which was humiliating; Jesus commands going two miles to reclaim control and reject the oppressor's power.
• The Temple Tax in Capernaum [01:12:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > A biblical example where Jesus, though free from the tax as the Son of God, instructs Peter to pay it to avoid offense, demonstrating voluntary submission rather than forced compliance.
• Self-Control and Identity [01:12:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts reactive control (letting others dictate responses) with proactive self-control rooted in a secure identity in God.
• Biblical Illustration of Jesus and the Temple Tax [01:12:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > An analysis of Matthew 17:24-27, where Jesus, though exempt from the tax, chooses to pay it to avoid offense, demonstrating control over the situation rather than being controlled by it.
• Generosity as Antidote to Shame [01:16:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that generosity is the practical outworking of being 'settled' in one's identity, preventing shame from dictating one's life.
• God's Presence with the Oppressed [01:17:25 ▶️ 📄]
  > A reference to Isaiah 57:15 to illustrate that God dwells with the lowly and oppressed to revive their spirits, countering the idea that He is distant or disgusted by human failure.
• Covering of Shame through Christ [01:20:12 ▶️ 📄]
  > The theological connection between Adam and Eve's covering in Eden and Jesus' death covering human shame, leading to an invitation for salvation.

• Sermon Illustration [00:47:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his own youth group experiences, noting that the spiritual foundation laid during those retreats is why he continued to pursue God after going to college.
• Sermon Illustration [00:28:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > A youth leader recounts a specific moment of vulnerability with four girls on a bedroom floor before a conference session, where they wept and expressed hunger for God, leading to real life change.
• Sermon Illustration [00:59:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses a live demonstration with a volunteer named Michael Yannetti to show that in the first-century culture, striking someone on the right cheek required using the back of the right hand, which was a specific act of humiliation and belittlement by a person of higher status.
• Sermon Illustration [00:52:56 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor illustrates the difference between guilt and shame by describing a scenario where a person tells a lie: feeling bad about the act is guilt, but defining oneself as 'a liar' is shame.
• Sermon Illustration [01:00:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about waiting for someone to get slapped in church, using it to illustrate the physical mechanics of a backhand slap on the right cheek.
• Sermon Illustration [01:03:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the story of Jesus before the high priest in John 18, where Jesus is struck by an officer but responds calmly, asserting His truth rather than retaliating.
• Sermon Illustration [01:07:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes the scene of Jesus' crucifixion in John 19, where soldiers divide His seamless garment and cast lots, leaving Him naked, as a picture of Him losing dignity so others could keep theirs.
• Sermon Illustration [01:12:06 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses a personal parenting illustration, telling his kids that when they retaliate against each other, they are actually giving the other person 'remote control' over their own life and emotions.
• Sermon Illustration [01:12:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a sibling conflict where one person 'lets them have it' in response to being bothered, illustrating how this reaction actually gives the other person control over one's life.
• Sermon Illustration [01:12:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The biblical story of Jesus and Peter in Capernaum regarding the temple tax, where Jesus instructs Peter to catch a fish with a shekel in its mouth to pay the tax for both of them, demonstrating voluntary submission to avoid offense.
• Sermon Illustration [01:18:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, where after hiding due to shame, God seeks them out and provides animal skins to cover their nakedness, illustrating God's proactive care and covering.

• Pastoral Charge [00:19:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > Church leaders are requested to come to the front of the sanctuary to facilitate altar ministry.
• Pastoral Charge [00:21:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > The congregation is commanded to stand up from their seats to receive prayer and ministry.
• Pastoral Charge [00:21:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > The congregation is commanded to physically lift their hands as an act of worship.
• Pastoral Charge [00:54:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor asks the congregation to repeat the word 'shmika' in unison.
• Pastoral Charge [01:01:55 ▶️ 📄]
  > Respond to physical or verbal slaps by turning the other cheek instead of retaliating.
• Pastoral Charge [01:09:53 ▶️ 📄]
  > Voluntarily perform double the required service when forced to do labor, to demonstrate freedom from shame and control.
• Pastoral Charge [01:21:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > Raise hand to commit to a relationship with God and reject shame.
• Pastoral Charge [01:21:56 ▶️ 📄]
  > Repeat a specific prayer of commitment and thanksgiving for Jesus' covering.
• Pastoral Charge [01:22:56 ▶️ 📄]
  > Visit Guest Central for next steps and information.
• Pastoral Charge [01:23:24 ▶️ 📄]
  > Visit the website to join a life group or summer social.

[00:02:36] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:02:36] Hey, welcome to Freedom House. We are so glad you are watching live. My name is Andrew, and this is?

[00:02:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]
[00:02:42] I'm Jason. Yeah, we're so excited to have you here. Happy Sunday. We can't wait. Pastor Michael in the house.

[00:02:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:02:49] Pastor Michael. Pastor Michael. That's all you really got to say.

[00:02:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]
[00:02:52] Yep, that is.
[00:02:53] For those who know, you know.
[00:02:55] Yeah, that's right. So, fun fact, Pastor Michael used to be here, was the facilities guy. I got a crazy story about him, too, that I'll tell you.
[00:03:02] Okay, okay.
[00:03:02] He scared the mess out of me one time.
[00:03:04] All right, all right. Share the story.
[00:03:05] You ready?
[00:03:06] I'm ready.
[00:03:06] So, one time, this was one of the first times I'd ever served.
[00:03:10] I think my first serve here was Leading Edge.
[00:03:13] Okay.
[00:03:13] And, you know, after you do Leading Edge, they set up the chairs back up.
[00:03:17] And I'm sitting here, you know, trying to put the chairs back in the row.
[00:03:20] And he, like, steps in the row.
[00:03:21] He's like, no, let me handle it.
[00:03:23] Because, you know, they got that.
[00:03:24] Yeah.
[00:03:24] He's so picky.
[00:03:26] Oh, yeah.
[00:03:26] I was like, whoa.
[00:03:27] So, I was like, who is this guy?
[00:03:30] And then now I'm like, I love Pastor Michael.

[00:03:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:03:32] See, cool guy.
[00:03:33] Pastor Michael actually taught me how to do the chairs.
[00:03:36] Nice.
[00:03:37] And he is, I wouldn't even say picky.
[00:03:40] He's just a perfectionist.

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]
[00:03:41] Yeah.

[00:03:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:03:41] And when that comes across in his messages too, every message he gives, banger.
[00:03:47] It's like, imagine Babe Ruth, but every single time, home run.
[00:03:52] That's right.
[00:03:52] Every time.

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]
[00:03:53] That's right.
[00:03:54] He also, yeah, he's our Lake Norman campus pastor.
[00:03:57] But when you work in facilities, you know how things work, you know how they operate, and you have a particular way of doing them.
[00:04:02] But anyways, welcome, like we said, to Freedom House.
[00:04:06] Let us know where you're watching from.
[00:04:08] I'm on Freedom House Live.
[00:04:11] We have YouTube, Facebook.

[00:04:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:04:13] FreedomHouse.cc slash live.
[00:04:15] Then we've got YouTube and then Facebook.
[00:04:18] Yep.

[00:04:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]
[00:04:18] Three ways to watch.
[00:04:19] Three ways.
[00:04:20] Yeah, three ways.
[00:04:21] There is a fourth way.

[00:04:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:04:23] Yeah, in person.
[00:04:24] In person.
[00:04:24] That's right.
[00:04:25] We'd love to see you here.
[00:04:26] At four different campuses.
[00:04:27] What are the campuses?
[00:04:30] Dang.

[00:04:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]
[00:04:30] Central.
[00:04:32] Lake Norman.

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:04:33] Ballantyne.
[00:04:35] And South End.
[00:04:35] South End.
[00:04:36] There we go.
[00:04:37] We've got so many campuses.
[00:04:38] If you're in the greater Charlotte area, just pull up.
[00:04:41] Yep.
[00:04:41] And if you come to Central, he said he'll buy you coffee.

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]
[00:04:46] Yeah.
[00:04:47] I'll get you.
[00:04:48] Yeah.
[00:04:49] All right.
[00:04:49] Well, you heard it here first.
[00:04:50] If it gets people in church, absolutely.
[00:04:52] Yeah.
[00:04:52] Dude, I'll buy everybody coffee if it gets them in the church.
[00:04:55] Okay.
[00:04:56] Without a doubt.
[00:04:57] So, anyways, we got a packed week.
[00:05:01] this week a lot going on america 250 250 we're turning 250 years old 250 that's all fourth i don't know anybody that old no me either me either not anywhere even close yeah actually i think the
[00:05:17] oldest person in the bible lived to be 900 and some years old i think i don't know anybody that

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:05:22] old now though neither do i that's old my grandma's coming close i think she's 87 so you know that is pretty close she's only got about two years yeah she hits it anyway let us know in the chat what
[00:05:39] are your fourth of july plans are you going out are you a firework person are you stay at home turn all the lights off yep light a spring light a sparkler do you have do you have dogs that get

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]
[00:05:51] traumatized at fireworks you have to you have to leave the house and go out in the middle of nowhere

[00:05:56] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:05:56] i grew up in a hoa neighborhood oh yeah but i love fireworks yeah yeah and so i lit off fireworks in my residential backyard not the tiny ones but i drove to south carolina to get them
[00:06:08] and the hoa neighborhood group page was blowing up no way with people so mad because their dogs were all traumatized had a fit i got told that i can never light off fireworks in that neighborhood

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_15]
[00:06:21] again so my grandfather he was we went to the mountains one time for july 4th and my little brother loves fireworks and so he's lighting a firework and he lit one and my grandpa didn't
[00:06:33] move back fast enough and it blew up in his face and then he kind of like stumbled back but it was hilarious but that he's gotten we he's gotten yelled at for fireworks too several times yeah
[00:06:46] we're getting mad if you blew up your grandpa he probably didn't yell that i meant just in general like he's had neighbors complain all the time like about his two i'm like it's the sound of
[00:06:55] freedom just enjoy yeah let freedom ring that's right that's right well yeah we got we got a lot going on uh we're doing a july 4th celebration next week from what i hear we got get on track
[00:07:07] on the 12th and then what is get on track so yeah get on track is a great way for you to come in and learn really about the church history learn how we started what we we believe what our core

[00:07:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:07:20] values are and if you're interested sign up for a team to serve yeah speaking of teams serving like we said we got pastor michael in the house he's gonna be serving up the best message ever

[00:07:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:07:31] we'll see you after good morning church will you stand on your feet with us today as we worship come on all across this room let's clap my hands I got the joy of the Lord deep

[00:07:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:07:50] down inside of my soul and I can't hide it no more I've gotta praise you I got the joy of the Lord deep down inside of my soul and I can't hide it no more I've
[00:08:00] gotta praise the one who broke my chains and bought my freedoms can I say but Thank you Jesus You're just that good

[00:08:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:08:17] You're faithful and you're just that kind I'm so grateful that you saved my You said you would

[00:08:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:08:26] Because you saved my

[00:08:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:08:41] Cause you're just, cause you're just that

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:08:43] With all that I've got, the world who you are And with all that I've got, and tell the world who you are I'm gonna praise the one who broke my chains And bought my freedom

[00:09:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:09:10] Sing this out.

[00:11:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:11:54] You know this.

[00:11:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:11:55] We're here for you.

[00:17:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]
[00:17:59] Why do we do that?
[00:18:01] Because you first loved us.
[00:18:03] You laid down your life on the cross for us.
[00:18:07] When we were still sinners, you're like, I'm going to do this because I want them to be in a relationship with me.
[00:18:18] So you laid it all down.
[00:18:20] So today, in response to that, we want to love you at the same level that you love us.
[00:18:27] We return our love, our adoration, our honor to you, God.
[00:18:32] We thank you so much for what you did, for salvation, for your word, for your hope, for your grace, for your mercy, for your healing.
[00:18:44] I could go on and on about who you are, God.
[00:18:46] But we just sit here today and we praise you.
[00:18:50] We lift you up.
[00:18:51] You are the great, the most powerful, the almighty God.
[00:18:56] and we serve you today.
[00:18:59] And all God's people said, amen.

[00:19:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]
[00:19:01] Amen.
[00:19:02] I don't know if you guys saw it, but our students are on fire.
[00:19:05] They just came back from a conference this weekend and they are expectant to receive from the Lord.
[00:19:11] And they're teaching us today how to show up, how to expect from God.
[00:19:16] We don't just come here just for our health.
[00:19:18] Well, we do, but we come here because we expect to worship God.
[00:19:23] Do you know what worship is?
[00:19:25] worship is recognizing God for who he is he sits above the universe he sits and rules over our hearts he sits as the one true God the only high king and we are here to worship and serve him
[00:19:42] today so I want our leaders to go ahead and make their way to the front because we're going to open up the altar for miracles today we're going to open up the altar to receive from the hand of
[00:19:54] God today, from the heart of God today. Our leaders are ready. They're expectant. They have words to speak over you. God wants to connect with you today. That's what this is all about. So let's
[00:20:08] recognize God for who he is, for what he's able to do, for what he's already done. And let's come with expectancy. We're about to sing a song called Rain Above It All. And what I want you to know is
[00:20:23] it, if you'll put Jesus on the throne of your heart, if you'll put him on the throne of your life, he will reign above it all. He'll reign over financial hardship. He will rule and reign over
[00:20:37] cancer in your body. He will rule and reign over addiction. He will rule and reign. If you'll just focus your worship on him. You know, so many times we come to church and we think we've got to be the
[00:20:51] ones to clean it all up. We've got to come clean. But if we'll just come messy and be honest, that's what he's asking for today. If we'll just come messy and be honest, and if we'll just lift our
[00:21:05] worship to him, everything else will begin to fade away because our eyes will be focused on the victor, the one who reigns above it all. So I don't know what you might need prayer for today,
[00:21:18] but he is the victor who wants to give you victory just connect with him today whatever you might be experiencing in your body whatever you might be experiencing in your life and you need his touch it is here for you he is here for you let's continue to worship and come on get out
[00:21:40] of your seats and receive from the hand of God amen family as we sing this next song I want

[00:21:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:21:48] everybody in this room to lift their hands. Our Father is worthy of praise. He reigns above everything. Amen. We're going to sing this song together.
[00:23:01] Just to give us new life and we forgive. Now seated alone, enthroned on the highest praise, we sing. You sent the darkness from empty grave. Now seated alone, enthroned on the highest praise.
[00:24:37] You sent the darkness from, now seated alone. Here for a moment, we're going to stay here.

[00:27:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_10]
[00:27:30] For those of you who I don't know, my name is Morgan. I have the privilege and honor of being in the lives of a lot of our youth. And I was on that trip that we took to Atlanta,
[00:27:38] where 10,000 Gen Z repositioned their heart to posture the one true living God, the one that does reign above it all, above all the other crap in our life that just seems to cloud our vision.
[00:27:52] We really got a clear picture of what really matters, what really changes everything.
[00:27:59] And I just wanna tell you something that from that conference that really affected me was the level of vulnerability that these students had before Jesus and before his bride the church see they didn't come in maybe they came in initially closed off
[00:28:15] like I don't know but I have to be honest with you before we even went into session one I sat down with four girls on our bedroom floor and I we didn't even get a couple sentences out in there
[00:28:24] weeping because they're hungry and they're thirsty for the living water and they know that there's something better for them and in that level of vulnerability with one another and then before the father created real life change. And you know, that's the same for each of us. The more we're
[00:28:42] willing to be honest about where we are with God and with one another, there's real life change in that. There's real beauty in that. That's where things really shift. Maybe you feel like you've been stuck. Maybe it's because if we're honest, we're not as vulnerable as we could be with our
[00:28:59] father and with one another. So I don't know if we can do this, but can we have our leaders come back up I'd love to do this again because here's the reality I've got students up here who were
[00:29:09] there they know their father because they were willing to say God I need more of you I need to be honest with you where I'm at and to be honest I'm going to be honest with somebody else and I'm
[00:29:20] going to share my burden and if you're in here and you felt stuck or maybe you just feel like when you worship you're like we're in it all of it all and it's just words for you can it mean something
[00:29:29] today church because God's here and he's present and he wants to move in your life and he wants the chains to fall off you just like they did for this 10,000 student arena and I think we can see
[00:29:40] that today if we go into this moment of worship again yes so what I want to say is to the parents

[00:29:46] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]
[00:29:46] these students are on fire they're modeling for us as adults what it means to pursue and go after God, but we're the leaders. As parents, as spiritual parents, leaders of this house, we are the ones that should be leading them. So what I want to say is let's model that for them
[00:30:10] today. First of all, let's not quench their fire. They're on fire right now. Let it burn. Let it burn. Because honestly, what we need at Freedom House Church is a new fire. Are you ready?

[00:30:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:30:28] and jesus empty grave now seated alone and thrown on the highest person the darkness one more time you reign the ways that you provide the way that you have conquered everything that we could possibly be going through there's nothing in this room that could stand against you
[00:36:00] you defeated the impossible you defeated death Jesus you cannot tell me that anything that anybody in this room is going in can conquer you nothing can conquer its own conqueror you conquered everything Jesus we love you and we praise you in Jesus name and everybody in the
[00:36:22] house of God said amen amen for showing up today you chose an amazing Sunday to come to church to receive a word and give God the glory that he deserves. If you're a first-time guest,
[00:36:44] thank you so much for coming today. Go ahead and greet somebody next to you. Say, we're glad to see you here today. And our pastors have a special message for you. Please enjoy the rest of service.

[00:37:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_14]
[00:37:04] Hey, what's up, everybody? Welcome to Freedom House. My name is Troy Maxwell, and this is my beautiful wife, Penny, and we're your senior pastors.

[00:37:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]
[00:37:11] We are one house with many rooms. We have campuses all around the Charlotte area, including our online campus. So no matter where you are joining us from, we want to welcome you.

[00:37:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_14]
[00:37:23] And listen, our heart is very simple. We want to help equip you to experience Christ's freedom in your everyday life. And we have a huge vision here. You'll notice that every one of our campuses,
[00:37:34] we have live teachers, live preachers. Why do we do that? Because we are a relational church.
[00:37:39] We want to connect to you.
[00:37:41] We're not a video venue.

[00:37:43] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]
[00:37:43] And you'll notice over in our kids area, they have the same thing.
[00:37:47] Live teachers, live preaching and worship.
[00:37:50] We do this because we know there is no junior Holy Spirit.
[00:37:54] We aren't raising up the next generation.
[00:37:57] We're raising up the now generation.

[00:38:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_14]
[00:38:00] And maybe you're new here at Freedom House or you just haven't gotten connected.
[00:38:03] All you have to do, open your phone, tap that little circle on the seat back in front of you and you'll find your next best step in getting connected.

[00:38:11] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_12]
[00:38:11] That's right.
[00:38:12] We can't wait to get connected to you.
[00:38:14] Now, let's take a look at what's coming up here at Freedom House.

[00:38:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:38:24] If you're new to Freedom House or you've been coming for a while and are ready to make this house your church home, Get On Track is your next step.
[00:38:31] Get On Track is your pathway to becoming an official member of the Freedom House family.
[00:38:36] In this class, you'll learn all about our history, vision, and core beliefs while discovering how to use your God-given gifts to serve and how you can grow in your relationship with Christ.
[00:38:46] Join us on July 12th during second service for an impactful class you won't want to miss.
[00:38:51] Visit freedomhouse.cc slash getontrack to register and let us know you're coming.

[00:38:58] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]
[00:38:58] Summer is officially here and the fun is just getting started.

[00:39:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:39:02] Our summer socials are heating up and it's not too late to join in.
[00:39:06] We are taking the time to connect and enjoy life together as a church family.

[00:39:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]
[00:39:10] All summer long, our Freedom House Life Group leaders will be hosting summer socials to include pool parties, baseball games, outdoor concerts, backyard barbecues, and so much more.

[00:39:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:39:20] So, invite your friends and join us all summer long as we live our summer to the fullest.

[00:39:26] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_11]
[00:39:26] To sign up for a social near you, head to freedomhouse.cc slash somersocials.

[00:39:31] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:39:31] For all this and more, visit freedomhouse.cc slash connect.

[00:39:38] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]
[00:39:38] What's up, Freedom House? How's everybody doing today?
[00:39:41] Come on, the Spirit of the Lord is in the house today.
[00:39:44] Was that some amazing worship? Can we give it up for our worship team?
[00:39:46] Come on, that was awesome.
[00:39:48] So good, so good.
[00:39:51] Well, how did we all get here?
[00:39:54] How?
[00:39:55] A car, okay.
[00:39:57] Well, how did we, as Christians, arrive at this point where we can experience salvation and experience the Holy Spirit when we, the majority of us, are probably not Jewish?
[00:40:10] I'll tell you how.
[00:40:11] How many people in the house have heard of Paul Harvey before?
[00:40:15] Paul Harvey, all right, if you're over 40, you're probably raising your hand right now.
[00:40:17] So Paul Harvey, 3,000 stories he did over the radio, and he always called it the rest of the story. So now I'm going to tell you the rest of the story. How did we arrive where we're at today?
[00:40:29] I'll tell you how. Let's go back to Acts 10. Acts 10, we find a centurion by the name of Cornelius.
[00:40:36] Cornelius was not a Jew. He was a Gentile. He was a Roman soldier. And he was sitting there praying one day, and about three o'clock in the morning, an angel appeared. Three o'clock in the
[00:40:50] afternoon, an angel appeared and said, hey, guess what? Your alms, your generosity, and your prayers have been raised as a memorial to God in heaven. I want you to go ahead and send to Peter to come
[00:41:09] to your house. And he's like, are you kidding me? So he takes a couple of his servants. He sends them to go get Peter. Peter, in the meantime, 35 plus miles away in another city was also receiving a
[00:41:22] vision from God. That vision was to not treat things as common. People are uncommon. When Peter opened his eyes, the guys that the centurion had sent were standing before him. And they said, what can I do for you? He said, the centurion wants you to come to his house. He's like, wait a minute,
[00:41:46] he's not a Jew. He wants me to come to his house. Peter says, you know what? I'm going to go off what God told me. I'm going to go to his house. He goes to his house and there the centurion had
[00:41:57] gathered a bunch of people in his house. Peter said, this is not normal. I want you to know, this is not normal for a Jew to be in a non-Jew's house, but God had told me to come. So here I am.
[00:42:12] And the centurion said, well, speak to us. Tell us about your God. Tell us about what's going on.
[00:42:18] and Peter delivered a message. Salvation filled the house, and the Holy Spirit fell on everyone there. And this was the very beginning of the disciples starting to preach to people other than Jews. That was the beginning of us right here today. See, it was a very act of generosity
[00:42:39] that got God's attention. It was the prayer of faith that got God's attention. And because of that, he said, hey, Cornelius, I'm going to bring salvation to your house because I see you. You are
[00:42:52] not common. You are uncommon. Your prayers are uncommon. Your generosity is uncommon. So we sit here today as uncommon people. God sees each and every one of us. He knows the numbers of the hairs
[00:43:05] on our head. You are special to him. Your generosity is special to him. Your prayers are special to him.
[00:43:14] And so we today get to continue on in that same thing that the centurion did.
[00:43:22] We get to continue on with our generosity affecting other people that he had no idea his generosity would ever affect.
[00:43:29] So today as we give, I want you to know that it's being sown in good ground.
[00:43:34] People in South Africa, people in Australia and Switzerland and Finland here in the United States are hearing the gospel today because of your generosity.
[00:43:42] You are continuing to spread the word of God, the kingdom of God through your generosity.
[00:43:48] So I just wanna tell you, listen, don't ever think your giving is just common.
[00:43:54] It's just checking the box.
[00:43:55] It's not.
[00:43:56] It is uncommon to God.
[00:43:58] He sees you and he hears your prayers.
[00:44:01] Heavenly Father, today, we just see ourselves as uncommon.
[00:44:07] We see ourselves as your children, as your heirs.
[00:44:11] God, you have more in store for us than we could ever think or imagine.
[00:44:15] And what an awesome thought that you are using us to spread the word of God, to spread the gospel, to bring people into salvation, to bring people into this house so they can experience the Holy Spirit.
[00:44:29] So today, as people are praying, as people are reaching out to you, God, I pray that you would speak to them, that they would know who you are and that you see them as being special.
[00:44:41] And Lord, today, as we return the tithe, We bring back just a portion, a tenth of what you've given us, what you've blessed us with, God.
[00:44:49] We pray that you would multiply it, you would expand it, and you'd bring more people into your kingdom. We thank you, Jesus, and we ask all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. And now you know

[00:45:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:45:01] the rest of the story. Enjoy the rest of the service. Central Campus! Good to see y'all. My name is Michael Singer. I'm the pastor at our Lake Norman campus, and I'm also part of our teaching team. And what
[00:46:05] that means is we have a group of people that are part of that team. We have a live communicator at all of our campuses, all four, all four of our campuses. And I'm glad I get to be back at Central
[00:46:18] with you all. It's good to see that. Hey, there's people that are joining live stream, so give it up. We have people from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, South Carolina, West Virginia, Nebraska. Is that any? Yeah, Nebraska. I went to school in Louisiana, so Wisconsin, Michigan,
[00:46:38] New York, Delaware, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, and Ireland. Come on, give it up for all of them.
[00:46:45] Yeah, we're so glad that you joined us today. I was hopeful I could get out of having to do all the abbreviations, but they popped up, so I did them. Well, hey, I'm glad to be here with
[00:46:56] you today. And one of the things, if you don't know about the vision that God has given this house is the vision for Freedom House is to equip people to experience Christ's freedom in their
[00:47:07] everyday lives. I want to show you what that looks like or tell you what that looks like.
[00:47:12] We've been talking about these youth that went on this vertical trip. That is what equipping looks like because they had things happen to them that is going to affect their lives forever.
[00:47:22] And I say that with confidence because I remember when I was in youth and I went on retreats or camps and was involved with my youth group, whenever I went off to college, do you know
[00:47:32] that I didn't push God off to the side, that I continued to pursue him because of that youth youth group. Who I am today, a big part of who I am today is because of that youth group. So
[00:47:42] young people, whatever God did with you on that retreat, whatever he's going to continue to do in youth, those are solid good things that will grow the rest of your life and give you a place
[00:47:52] of freedom. When we have people come down here for prayer and to pray over you, that is equipping you to experience Christ's freedom when you walk out of these doors. This is just a moment in time of
[00:48:03] our lives. This is not our entire life. So whatever happens in here, whatever happens through this church is intended for us to go out. So let's give God a hand for the vision here at Freedom House.
[00:48:13] So we are in this series for the entire summer. Typically as a church, we'll do a series each month, but over the summer, we usually cover the entire summer. So over June, July, and August,
[00:48:26] we're going to be in a series called Summer on the Mount. It's a little bit of a play on words because we are really unpacking and looking through where Jesus went up on a mountainside
[00:48:39] and basically shared a sermon.
[00:48:41] You can read the entirety of that sermon in Matthew chapter five, six, and seven, and we have people on our teaching team that have taken portions of that and are going to be sharing that
[00:48:53] throughout the entire series.
[00:48:54] What I wanna do today is I wanna start with the very first verse because I want us to understand what is happening when Jesus walks up on this mountainside and he gives this sermon.
[00:49:04] Matthew chapter five, verse one.
[00:49:07] Seeing the crowds, this is Jesus, He saw the crowds. He went up on the mountain. And when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
[00:49:17] This is very important because it's easy to look at this and say, oh, Jesus is just sharing a bunch of stuff with a bunch of people. But that's not what's happening. His disciples came to him and
[00:49:29] he's really speaking to his disciples very intentionally. And there just happened to be other people that are listening in. The reason why this is so important is because Jesus is seen as a rabbi and a teacher. And it was extremely important when you had followers as a rabbi,
[00:49:49] it was your job and your role to pass down your interpretation of the law, your interpretation of how it should be lived out, and to actually show your followers how to live it out. So
[00:50:00] understand when Jesus sits down with his disciples, he really is teaching them that as your Rabbi, I am teaching this is the way that you should live your life. The other people just happen to be there listening. When we listen to the entirety of Jesus's teaching in Matthew 5,
[00:50:18] 6, and 7 on the Sermon on the Mount, what we have to understand is that he is always pointing everything he says back to two things. Those two important foundational factors that all of the
[00:50:32] sermon of the mount should be filtered through is that we should love God and we should love others.
[00:50:37] That's it. So when he's speaking and we're wrestling with what he's saying, we always have to filter it back. Matter of fact, when he was, when Jesus was addressed to sum up all the laws,
[00:50:46] that's what he said, love God and to love others. So the part of scripture that we're going to get into today is actually a section of the sermon where Jesus is referencing old laws or laws that
[00:51:01] they had that we would call the Old Testament. He's referencing these laws from the Torah and he's addressing them with his disciples. So let's pick up in the section that I'm going to look at
[00:51:12] today in Matthew chapter 5 verses 38 through 42. Here's what it says. You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not resist the one who is
[00:51:29] evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go
[00:51:41] one mile, then go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. If you wanted to put a little topic title on what Jesus is talking about,
[00:51:57] you could just reference this section that he is speaking on retaliation he's talking about retaliation and as we look at Jesus talking about retaliation here's the thought that I want us to wrestle with and in our head and in our heart just to roll around that I want to stick with us as we
[00:52:15] leave today you see when we're faced with with moments of retaliation our response can reveal the role that shame plays in our lives.
[00:52:26] Whenever we have a moment where somebody does something and we're ready to retaliate, whether we retaliate or not can really begin to reveal whether or not shame is at play in our lives.
[00:52:39] Now, I wanna define what shame is.
[00:52:41] If you've been around me long enough, you maybe have heard me say this.
[00:52:44] It's such a simple definition.
[00:52:45] It changed my life years ago.
[00:52:47] There's a difference between guilt and shame.
[00:52:50] Guilt is a wrongness of action.
[00:52:52] shame is a wrongness of being.
[00:52:55] Give you an example.
[00:52:56] If I tell a lie and I feel guilty and bad about telling that lie, then that is guilt because I feel bad about what I did.
[00:53:08] Shame comes in when I tell the lie, I feel bad about what I did, but then I say, I am a liar.
[00:53:17] You know what I've done?
[00:53:18] I've just defined who I was in a way that God never intended for me to be.
[00:53:22] that's why shame is so dangerous. That's why we see it in the garden. When Adam and Eve were walking with God, they chose sin. It didn't say that they felt guilty. It says that they were
[00:53:34] ashamed of their nakedness and they closed themselves. In other words, they were settled before sin and who they were, but the minute they ate the fruit and they stepped into sin, they became unsettled in who they are. That's what I want to talk about today. When we think
[00:53:52] about those moments of retaliation, I want us to think about if I'm about to retaliate, am I really settled in who I am? And whether or not we are settled plays a huge part in determining
[00:54:04] if we are going to retaliate. Now, there's an important part to the way this verse, section of verses starts. And Jesus does this multiple times prior to this section. He says this phrase, you have heard that it was said, but I say. And it's important to know what he's doing
[00:54:26] here. It's actually, he's doing this word and living this word out called shmika. On the count of three, everybody say that word shmika. One, two, three. Come on, say it again. One, two, three.
[00:54:39] So now if you have somebody that's dropping wisdom, you can say, oh my gosh, they got shmika.
[00:54:45] Ah, shmika was a word that meant you were exercising a higher level of authority as a rabbi than any other rabbi. So what Jesus is doing here and what that phrase means, anytime a rabbi said,
[00:55:02] you've heard it said, and they're about to quote the law, but I say to you, what it means is, is that rabbi is saying, the law has been interpreted one way this entire time and lived
[00:55:12] out, I actually have a higher level of authority than just a general rabbi. So I'm about to interpret that law another way. And so what Jesus is actually doing is he's saying, you've heard these laws interpreted and lived out this way. I'm here to tell you that that was a misinterpretation
[00:55:31] by every other rabbi. You see, when you think about, if I asked you, tell me the commandments, typically our head goes to 10, the 10 commandments. Do you know when you use the phrase, tell me the commandments or tell me the laws to a Jewish person. Do you know how many went through
[00:55:47] their head? 613. That was the Torah. That was the commandments. That was the law. That was the guidelines. And Jesus is hitting these and he's hitting this one particular one. And he says, you've lived this out this way, but you actually missed the interpretation when God gave the law
[00:56:04] to Moses of what this is all about. In other words, he's saying that you Jewish people, you know how to live things outwardly but you missed that God was trying to speak to the heart
[00:56:15] of the matter so when he's talking and he says you've heard it said but I say he's saying I'm not changing the law I'm just going back and interpreting the way it should be so I can show
[00:56:26] you and tell you as my disciples how you're called to live because you're going to be persecuted and you're going to get a lot of heat but in the long run if you walk it out it'll be worth it
[00:56:37] and he starts, and he says, the law is an eye for an eye. You know the law, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. If you want to go back and look, this law is in Exodus 21, 24. It's also
[00:56:50] referenced in Leviticus, and here's what this law meant to the Jewish people. When the Jewish people heard this law, actually, let me backtrack. Let me talk about us when we hear this law.
[00:57:00] Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Do you know how I typically use that? I use it in an offensive posture. If Christian does something to me and I do something back to him and he gets mad, I'll be
[00:57:08] like, sorry, man, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. You know, you took my cereal, I'm taking your cereal. That's how we use it, very offensively. But do you know that to the Jews, even way back
[00:57:18] when this law was given, it had nothing to do with an offensive posture. It actually was a protective posture because this law was made so that Jewish people did not get in a cycle of vengeance.
[00:57:30] In other words, this law was there so that if you did something to me, we could actually take it before a judge and a jury and they could actually rule it out properly instead of me taking vengeance into my own hand,
[00:57:41] which the Bible's very clear.
[00:57:42] It says, do not take vengeance into our own hands.
[00:57:44] Leave that up to God.
[00:57:45] So it was even used for a good means for the Jews, but Jesus is about to say, I'm going to take this and I'm going to really unpack the heart of what God was doing when he gave this law to Moses.
[00:57:57] it's deeper than just walking it out it's a heart level that allows you to walk it out the way God intended to walk it out so let's look back at verse 39 I think they're going to put it up on
[00:58:09] the screen verse 39 it says but I say to you do not resist the one who is evil but if anyone slaps you on the right cheek turn to him the other also so I want to talk about these three scenarios
[00:58:22] today but before we get into this first scenario of the slap I want to make sure we understand what Jesus is saying when he says, do not resist the evil one. That word resist, when you look at
[00:58:32] the original word and original meaning of it in the Greek, it means to not be hostile towards and don't set yourself up against someone. Another way to see it is don't square up on someone.
[00:58:45] If you're going to fight somebody like you're pushing me and then I square up, you know that I mean business. Now you might beat me, but I still mean business. So it's saying that, hey,
[00:58:55] don't resist the evil one. Don't square up on people. Don't retaliate when they come at you.
[00:59:00] And then he starts unpacking these three scenarios. And each of these three scenarios, I'm going to show you what it is about these scenarios that can push that button of shame, that can make us feel unsettled, that can make us want to retaliate. So he says,
[00:59:17] if someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him also the other. This is where we must fight shame when we are belittled. Whenever someone belittles me, inside of me, I might feel unsettled
[00:59:31] and feel like I have to square up, but I have to fight against shame whenever I am belittled.
[00:59:40] I wonder why Jesus said, when someone strikes you on the right cheek, why didn't he just say, when someone strikes you on the cheek, just turn your other cheek. I want us to really understand
[00:59:50] why this is what it is. Michael Yannetti, will you come up here, please? Don't be scared, man.
[00:59:58] So let's talk about the culture back then. Just come stand right here close. Don't be scared.
[01:00:04] That's okay. I'll tell you what, you can face them if you want. So let's talk about this culture for a little bit. Back in this culture, they would only greet people with their right hand.
[01:00:15] They would only eat with their right hand. Even if they hit somebody, it was usually with their right hand. And the reason why is because the left hand was seen as unclean because it was used
[01:00:25] for bathroom duties. Duties, that's kind of a play on words, isn't it? Sorry, I just thought of that.
[01:00:33] So the right hand was the only one that would be interactive. So understand, when Jesus is telling this, everybody in that culture knows that when he says the right hand, they know that, well, that's the hand you would address someone with. But he's specific. If they strike you on the right
[01:00:52] cheek, if I can only use my right hand, come stand close. Y'all about to see somebody get slapped in church today. Been a long time. I've been waiting for this. This is his right cheek. Remember, I can
[01:01:06] only interact with my right hand. There is no way. I mean, it would be weird, but there's pretty much no way I could open hand slap him. That would just be stupid. Can't do that. The only way I can slap
[01:01:19] him is with the back of my hand. Whenever someone in that culture got slapped with the back of their hand, it was almost like someone that was higher status than them telling them they were less than
[01:01:30] a lot of times this would happen to slaves under people and things like that. But it basically was belittling them and saying, you're less than me and I'm greater than you. Thank you. Y'all give
[01:01:38] it up for Michael Yannetti. So Jesus says, when they slap you on the right cheek, in other words, when they rob you of your dignity, when they say that you're less than me, when they push that
[01:01:55] button and they try to make you feel shamed and unsettled, you know what you do? Turn and give them the other cheek, which is the left cheek. Because here's what happens. Whenever I give my
[01:02:08] left cheek, remember, they can only interact with the right hand. Now they have an option.
[01:02:13] They either have to decide, they're going to hit me open-handed or punch me, which says in that culture that you're equal to me. Or it's going to be a moment for God to move and maybe convict them
[01:02:26] of what they just did and go, oh my gosh, this person obviously does not see themselves less than, maybe I should not have slapped them like that. You see, shame is going to, when we're
[01:02:37] belittled, shame is going to rise up. And Jesus is saying, look, when it rises up and they say that you're less than, if we are settled in who God says that we are, then we can turn the other
[01:02:49] cheek and let them know I'm just as good. I'm just as powerful as I need to be. I am who God says I am. It doesn't matter what you think or say that I am. Here's how Jesus walked this out in John
[01:03:01] chapter 18, verses 19 through 23. It says, the high priest then questioned Jesus. So this is Jesus going up, about to be crucified, and he's basically having this at this court session in a courtyard.
[01:03:13] High priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. And Jesus answered him, I've spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard of me
[01:03:29] what I said to them. They know what I said. When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand saying, is that how you answer the high priest? And Jesus
[01:03:43] simply answered, if what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong. But if what I said is right, why do you strike me? In other words, Jesus said, first of all, I'm going to turn the other
[01:03:57] cheek because I am not less than this high priest. Matter of fact, I'm so confident and assured in who I am. Why don't you go back and watch the tape? And if there's really a problem, then bring
[01:04:11] it to me. But if there's not, don't. He's settled in who he is. He's belittled in that moment and even said he's less than to respect the high priest. And Jesus doesn't get mad in his answer.
[01:04:25] he just gives them the other cheek and says, you don't understand who I am. I am settled in who God has said I am. So if you feel like you need to work something out, then work it out because
[01:04:36] I've already worked everything out in who I am. Let's move on and get to the second little situation that Jesus gives in verse 40. He goes on and he says, if anyone would sue you and take
[01:04:50] your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And remember, I said, in each one of these scenarios, we're going to see the thing that can push our shame button. And this one is we have to fight
[01:05:00] against shame when we are mistreated. We have to fight against shame when we're belittled, and we have to fight against shame when we are mistreated. Back in Jewish law, for us, like looking back at the Old Testament, they had a law that if you were so poor that someone sued
[01:05:18] you and you had nothing to give them. You had to give them the cloak or the coat or whatever off your back. But in order to keep the dignity of the person who was giving up the only thing they had,
[01:05:30] whenever sundown came, if I sued that person for their cloak and I had it, when sundown came, before the sun went down, I had to give them that cloak for the overnight purposes because that was
[01:05:42] the only way that they could remain warm and have sleep. In other words, I'm saying, hey, you owe me this, but I'm not trying to rob you of your dignity. And they would keep that cloak overnight.
[01:05:51] And when morning came, they would take that cloak and give it back to the one that had sued them.
[01:05:56] So whenever Jesus says, hey, if they, someone sues you, you know, for your tunic, then give you, give them your cloak also. Back in that time, they wore two main garments, the tunic underneath and
[01:06:08] the cloak on the outside. And so what Jesus is saying is when someone comes to you and they basically treats you poorly by taking one of your garments, then basically give them the other garment as if to say, I don't know why you're treating me this way because I don't deserve to
[01:06:29] be treated this way because I am settled in who I am. You might see me a certain way and think that I'm less than, but I'm going to let you know that I'm comfortable with who I am. And so if you're
[01:06:40] going to take one. You might as well take the other. I would rather stand bare before the court in the confidence of who I am than allow you to treat me a certain way and me to live underneath
[01:06:50] the way that you were treated me. Here's how Jesus walked this out in John chapter 19. And this is what it looked like for him in verse 23 through 24, when he is about to be crucified. It says,
[01:07:04] when the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and they divided them into four parts.
[01:07:09] one part for each soldier also his tunic but the tunic was seamless woven in one piece from top to bottom so they said to one another let us not tear it but cast lots for it to seize see who it shall
[01:07:24] be this was to fulfill the scripture which says they divided my garments among them and for my clothing they cast lots so the soldiers did these things this is a picture of Jesus hanging on a
[01:07:38] cross with nothing but a loincloth on. This is a picture of a man who is basically naked before everyone, and he is walking and being undignified so that you and I could remain and have our
[01:07:50] dignity. You see, everything's stripped from him. And he decided to go through and basically give everything he had when he died on that cross. And he did that because he was not unsettled in who
[01:08:03] he was. There was no shame about him. He actually was carrying that with him on the cross, and he was undignified so that you and I can look in the mirror and understand that no matter the way
[01:08:13] someone mistreats us, we are dignified. It's not about what they say to us. We're going to have moments where people belittle us. We're going to have moments where we're mistreated. Online, it's easy behind a computer to belittle someone. What do we do when that happens? Do we retaliate?
[01:08:30] because if we retaliate, then we have to ask ourselves the question, God, what is it about me that I'm really not settled in?
[01:08:39] What is it about the way I see myself that I feel like I have to defend myself?
[01:08:42] Because if I'm settled in myself, then I shouldn't have to defend myself.
[01:08:47] If someone mistreats me at my job or my boss treats me a certain way or this coworker or a friend or somebody is mistreating me, do I just get mad and angry or do I allow myself to go,
[01:08:59] you know what, you're mistreating me, but that's not really what I deserve.
[01:09:03] So you can just take my tunic.
[01:09:05] You can take my cloak.
[01:09:07] You can take everything I have.
[01:09:08] I will stand here and not say a thing because I know who I am.
[01:09:12] And your words, they hurt.
[01:09:15] That whole sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
[01:09:19] That's a lie.
[01:09:21] They hurt, but I'm not gonna retaliate out of the hurt because the hurt does not say who I am.
[01:09:27] It's the man in heaven.
[01:09:28] It's God himself that actually says who I am.
[01:09:34] The slap, the clothes, now we get to this last scenario that Jesus mentions. It's found in verse 41 and it says, if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. We've been
[01:09:53] mistreated and shame tried to rise up. We've been belittled and shame tries to rise up. In this scenario, we have to fight shame when we are forced. When we feel forced, we have to fight
[01:10:08] against that moment to retaliate, that moment of shame that rises up in us, say, there is something in me that's unsettled. I want to square up, and we're going to go at it. Let's understand what
[01:10:18] Jesus is talking about here. When he says, if they ask you to go one mile, then go with them two, he's actually speaking directly to what is going on in that current time and culture.
[01:10:29] You see, there was a Roman law called Angaria.
[01:10:33] Angaria allowed by law for a Roman soldier to walk up to anyone, not just a Roman.
[01:10:41] They could walk up to a Jewish person and tell that person, you need to carry my things, my effects, you need to carry them for me.
[01:10:51] And do you know that by law, they had to carry their stuff for one mile?
[01:10:56] Matter of fact, Jewish boys would mark off where a mile marker was. So if a Roman soldier asked them to carry the items, they would carry it there and then they would stop. I mean, it was just, you just felt so ashamed. You felt so
[01:11:09] belittled. It was embarrassing to have to carry, especially you're Jewish and a Roman person has come up on your property, on your land and said, carry my things. How humiliating that was.
[01:11:22] and Jesus says when you get to that mile don't throw the things down huff and puff and walk away and say I'm glad I don't have to do your stupid stuff anymore he said you take that stuff and you
[01:11:39] walk it a second mile here's what happens when we do that that oppression and control that's been put on us when we go that second mile we look at it and say you don't have control over me
[01:11:54] matter of fact I'm so settled in who I am that I'm going to show you control I'm going to take your things another mile they should always tell my kids when they would mess with each other bother
[01:12:06] each other I'm like look when you retaliate you think you have control when your sister or brother bothers you and you come back at them we feel like oh I got control now I let them have it
[01:12:16] but you know the only thing we let them have was the remote control of our life because I allowed them to get a response out of me, which means they controlled me in that moment.
[01:12:28] I didn't control myself.
[01:12:30] Controlling ourselves says, I will take your stuff and I'll go the second mile because I am assured in who I am.
[01:12:37] Shame is not gonna overtake me.
[01:12:39] Here's what it looked like for Jesus.
[01:12:41] Here's how he lived it out.
[01:12:43] Matthew chapter 17, verse 24 through 27.
[01:12:46] When they came to Capernaum, Jesus and the disciples, the collectors of the two drachma tax went to Peter and said, does your teacher, Jesus, not pay the tax? He said, yes. And when he came
[01:12:58] into the house, Jesus spoke to him first saying, spoke to Peter, what do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from the others? And when he said
[01:13:12] from others, Jesus said to him, then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea, cast a hook and take that first fish that comes up. And when you open his mouth,
[01:13:27] you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself. I want us to understand what's going on here. This gentleman collecting the temple tax, which is a normal thing
[01:13:40] for Jewish people to have to pay the temple tax. He says, Hey, does your teacher not pay? Is he trying to skirt around this tax? So when Peter's addressed by Jesus, he says, Peter, if I'm the
[01:13:53] king, do my kids have to pay the tax or just everybody else? And Peter answers dead on. He says, well, the kids don't have to pay just everybody else. You know that what Jesus was
[01:14:05] saying is there was a law that said, if you were the son of the one who was over the temple, you didn't have to pay the temple tax. Who's over the temple? God. Who's the son of God? Jesus.
[01:14:22] In other words, Jesus is saying, Peter, I don't have to pay this temple tax. And I love when he goes the second mile because he makes a very powerful phrase. He says, in order not to offend
[01:14:39] them, meaning in order to not let them have control, we're going to take control ourselves.
[01:14:44] we're going to be settled in who we are Peter you go catch a fish he pulled out that shekel each Jewish person had to pay two drachma per person a shekel is four drachma and he said you
[01:15:00] go pay not just mine pay yours also Peter you see Jesus even himself he had an out he could at one mile dropped it and said I'm done I don't need to pay that tax but he said we're not going
[01:15:16] to do that, Peter. You see, in order not to offend them, we're going to go the extra mile because they don't dictate who we are. I don't need to tell them I'm the son of God.
[01:15:27] I know I'm the son of God. You don't need to tell them who you are. We just need to know who we are in God. Whenever we feel forced to do something, God is saying, will we retaliate and
[01:15:43] get mad? Will we just do it and then walk away and be disgusted and humiliated? Or will we say, you know what? I'm not just going to do that. I'm going to go the extra mile because it's in that
[01:15:57] extra mile where I get to determine who God says that I am. It's in that extra mile where the oppression you're trying to put on me holds no weight in my life. And I will walk my life out
[01:16:08] exactly how it was intended. When this, when this section, Jesus gets through all three of these stories, the slap, the close, the extra mile. He gets through it and he just wraps it up very
[01:16:21] simply. Nothing hard to think about. He just says, give to someone, you know, if someone asks you in there in need, give to them. And someone wants to borrow something, be a lender, be a giver and a
[01:16:31] lender. And I love how he wraps it up because I personally feel like he wrapped it up with that because he gives us the antidote to shame whenever we want to retaliate. And the antidote to operating
[01:16:44] out of shame and retaliation is simply generosity. Generosity. Generosity says, I am settled in myself. When you slap me on my right cheek, I'm going to generously give you my other cheek because I'm settled in who I am. When you want to sue me for my tunic, I'm going to give you my cloak too
[01:17:02] because I'm settled in who I am. I'm going to generously give that to you. When you tell me to go a mile, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to operate in generosity because generosity says,
[01:17:11] I know who I am and I'm going to do what I'm going to do. And I'm going to give back to you because I am settled and who I am. Shame will not dictate my life. I love Isaiah 57, 15
[01:17:25] because it shows a picture of God that I absolutely love. It says, for the high and exalted one, God, who lives forever, whose name is holy, says this, I live in a high and holy place
[01:17:40] and I also live with the oppressed and lowly of spirit to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.
[01:17:51] He didn't say, I am holy, I am forever and I live in a high and holy place and I look down disgusted the people that walk this earth.
[01:18:04] He didn't say that.
[01:18:05] He said, I live in a high and holy place but I also live with those who are unsettled.
[01:18:10] and the reason why he lives with the unsettled the lowly the oppressed the reason why he lives with us in those moments when we want to retaliate is because he's saying i'm right here and i want
[01:18:20] to tell you who you are because i want to lift you up out of that situation i want to make you higher than the moment and not walk out in shame romans 10 11 says for the scripture say
[01:18:34] everyone who believes in him will not will not be put to shame if you will stand to your feet with me you've heard it said you've heard it said but I say in the garden of Eden remember I mentioned
[01:18:58] that Adam and Eve when sin came in the very thing they were settled in they became unsettled in and that was who they were. So whenever that happened and they were hiding, do you know that God still
[01:19:15] went looking for them? What that tells me is that you and I can try to hide, but God is still walking through our life saying, where are you? I want to spend time with you. And I love what
[01:19:27] happens because they came out and they revealed the sin that they had walked in. They'd eaten from the tree and there were consequences for that. But do you know what God did that I think
[01:19:40] is such a beautiful picture of a loving father? Because it's easy to pin a lot of the heartache and headaches of life on God and say, if you're a loving God, why would you do this? Well, go back
[01:19:50] to the garden. Let's see what a loving God looks like. Because he could have looked at them and said, I'm done with you. You've sinned. You're out of the garden and I never want to have anything
[01:19:59] to do with you again. But he didn't. He looked at them and he said, I understand you're unsettled in your nakedness. I'm going to kill the first animals and I'm going to actually cover you and
[01:20:12] make clothes for you. So when that scripture in Romans says that anyone believes in Jesus will not be put to shame, here's why. Because when Jesus died on that cross, he didn't just carry our sins. The Bible says he carried our shame, meaning that when the blood
[01:20:29] ran down, that was the covering for you and for me. If you will close your eyes. And I just want to ask you, where are you at in life? Are you unsettled? Do you have those moments where you
[01:20:43] want to retaliate and you're just wrestling with who you are? And there's something in those moments that you just haven't allowed God to really speak and say who you are, that he loves you. If you're here today, the only way to be settled is to allow what Jesus did to cover the
[01:21:02] shame that we have. So I want to invite you today to start a relationship with God, a relationship where God will provide a covering for your life that will allow you to learn who you are and who
[01:21:14] he says you are and not live in shame, but walk out and live life generously. If you're here today and you want that relationship, you're tired of being unsettled. You're tired of living in shame
[01:21:26] and you want to walk out of that, you want to begin to move out of that, I want you right now just to raise your hand up.
[01:21:30] Say, God, I want to walk out of it.
[01:21:31] I see your hand.
[01:21:32] I see your hand, ma'am.
[01:21:33] Anybody else?
[01:21:34] Thank you.
[01:21:34] I see your hand.
[01:21:35] Just raise it up high.
[01:21:36] God, I want you.
[01:21:37] I'm ready to walk out of the shame.
[01:21:39] I'm ready not to live with the shame anymore.
[01:21:41] It's not going to bite me.
[01:21:42] You, you are the one, the only one that tells me who I am.
[01:21:46] You can put your hand down once you raise it.
[01:21:47] Anybody else?
[01:21:49] I see your hand.
[01:21:51] Thank you, young lady.
[01:21:53] I want to say a prayer and I want you to repeat this as loud as you can after me.
[01:21:56] say this loud so you can hear yourself. Say, God, I love you. And I thank you that not only did you cover Adam and Eve, but through Jesus, you covered me. His death and resurrection
[01:22:13] give me new life, give me hope, and allow me not to retaliate, but to stand firm in who you say that I am. I thank you for it. And when I leave here today, help me walk in it more and more,

[01:22:35] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_09]
[01:22:35] step by step, day by day, in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Come on, give God some praise today.
[01:22:47] It's amazing. Hands all across the room. If you did raise your hand today, we want to celebrate with you. We would love to get some information in your hands, tell you about next steps. Stop
[01:22:56] by Guest Central located on the other side of the double doors. So we can get that in your hand, say hello. If you're first time with us, same thing. We'd love to get to know you, tell you a
[01:23:05] little bit more about Freedom House. We have a free gift for all of our first time guests.
[01:23:09] And it's not going to be the last time you're here. It's going to be the next time and next

[01:23:13] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_13]
[01:23:13] time and next time. It's going to be family. Actually, there's opportunities to be here this week. So I wanted to just share with you really quickly why we do summer socials. The disciples devoted themselves to fellowship. So every time we gather, it's an opportunity. It's not just
[01:23:24] something fun. It is fun, but it's a way to connect with the body of Christ and be challenged, encouraged, build up your faith. So make sure you go to freedomhouse.cc slash life groups or slash summer socials and join one this week. There's, they're happening every single week
[01:23:41] all throughout the summer. So we look forward to seeing you there. Freedom House, you're awesome.
[01:23:46] What a great day we had in God's house. You are dismissed. Have a great day.